A literary element is a fundamental structural component that every work of narrative fiction or nonfiction must contain. Unlike literary devices — which are optional techniques a writer chooses to use — literary elements are required building blocks. Without them, a story cannot exist.
The core literary elements are plot, character, setting, theme, conflict, point of view, and tone.
The Core Literary Elements
Here is a complete reference of every major literary element, what it does, and how it appears in practice.
Plot
Plot is the sequence of events that make up a story. It is not just “what happens” but the cause-and-effect chain that connects one event to the next.
Most plots follow a structure that moves through exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. This arc — sometimes called Freytag’s Pyramid — gives readers a sense of movement and momentum.
Example: In The Hunger Games, the plot moves from Katniss volunteering as tribute (inciting incident) through the arena battles (rising action) to the final confrontation and double-suicide bluff (climax and resolution).
Character
Characters are the people, creatures, or entities who act within a story. They drive the plot forward through their decisions, desires, and flaws.
Characters are typically classified as:
| Type | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Protagonist | The central character the story follows | Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice |
| Antagonist | The force opposing the protagonist | President Snow in The Hunger Games |
| Flat character | A character with one or two traits, little development | Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice |
| Round character | A complex character with multiple traits who changes | Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby |
Strong character development is what transforms a name on a page into someone a reader cares about. The best characters have clear motivations, believable flaws, and a character arc that connects to the story’s theme.
Setting
Setting is the time, place, and social environment in which a story takes place. It establishes the world the characters inhabit and often shapes the conflicts they face.
Setting includes:
- Time period — historical era, season, time of day
- Location — country, city, specific room or landscape
- Social environment — cultural norms, class structure, political climate
- Atmosphere — the emotional feeling the environment creates
Example: The isolated Yorkshire moors in Wuthering Heights are not just a backdrop. The wild, harsh landscape mirrors the passionate and destructive relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine.
Theme
Theme is the central idea or underlying meaning a story explores. It is not the subject of the story but rather what the story says about that subject.
A story about war (subject) might explore the theme that violence destroys both the victor and the defeated. A story about love might argue that real love requires sacrifice.
Common literary themes include:
- Good vs. evil
- Coming of age
- The corrupting nature of power
- Individual vs. society
- The cost of ambition
- Love and sacrifice
- Identity and belonging
- Mortality and legacy
A theme is not a single word. “Love” is a subject. “Love demands vulnerability” is a theme.
Conflict
Conflict is the struggle between opposing forces that drives the plot. Without conflict, there is no tension — and without tension, there is no story.
Conflict falls into two broad categories:
| Category | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| External | Character vs. Character | Sherlock Holmes vs. Moriarty |
| External | Character vs. Society | Winston Smith vs. the Party in 1984 |
| External | Character vs. Nature | The old man vs. the sea in Hemingway’s novel |
| External | Character vs. Technology | Humanity vs. Skynet in The Terminator |
| Internal | Character vs. Self | Hamlet’s indecision over avenging his father |
Most strong narratives layer multiple types of conflict. A character fighting an external enemy while battling internal doubt creates richer, more compelling fiction.
Point of View
Point of view (POV) is the perspective from which a story is told. It determines what information the reader has access to and how close they feel to the characters.
| POV | Pronoun | Reader Access | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| First person | I / we | One character’s thoughts and perceptions | Intimacy, unreliable narrators |
| Second person | You | Puts reader in the character’s position | Choose-your-own-adventure, literary fiction |
| Third person limited | He / she / they | One character’s perspective at a time | Most novels, balanced intimacy and scope |
| Third person omniscient | He / she / they | All characters’ thoughts | Epic narratives, ensemble casts |
The choice of POV is one of the most consequential decisions a writer makes. It controls pacing, suspense, and emotional distance.
Tone and Mood
Tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject matter or the audience. Mood is the emotional atmosphere the reader experiences. They are closely related but distinct.
- Tone comes from word choice, sentence structure, and the author’s approach. A sarcastic tone uses sharp, cutting language. A reverent tone uses measured, respectful phrasing.
- Mood is the result — what the reader feels. A story with dark imagery, short sentences, and an isolated setting creates a mood of tension or dread.
Example: Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” has a frantic, unstable tone (through the narrator’s erratic speech) that produces a mood of creeping horror.
Literary Elements vs. Literary Devices
This is the most common point of confusion. Here is the distinction:
| Literary Elements | Literary Devices | |
|---|---|---|
| Required? | Yes — every story has them | No — writers choose to use them |
| What they are | Structural building blocks | Techniques and tools |
| Examples | Plot, character, setting, theme | Metaphor, foreshadowing, irony, symbolism |
| Analogy | The skeleton of a body | The muscles and expressions |
A story must have characters, a setting, and a plot. It does not have to contain a single metaphor or instance of alliteration — though most good writing does.
Quick Reference Table
| Element | Definition | Key Question It Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Plot | The sequence of events | What happens? |
| Character | The people in the story | Who is it about? |
| Setting | Time, place, environment | Where and when? |
| Theme | The central meaning or message | What does it mean? |
| Conflict | The central struggle | What is the problem? |
| Point of View | The narrative perspective | Who is telling it? |
| Tone / Mood | Author’s attitude / reader’s feeling | How does it feel? |
Why Literary Elements Matter for Writers
Understanding literary elements is not an academic exercise. Every writing decision you make — whether you realize it or not — involves these elements.
When a draft feels flat, the problem is almost always traceable to one of them. A saggy middle means your plot structure needs work. Cardboard characters mean you have not developed real motivations or flaws. A story that feels pointless likely lacks a clear theme.
Knowing the elements gives you a diagnostic framework. Instead of staring at a broken draft and feeling stuck, you can ask: is the conflict strong enough? Is the POV serving the story? Does the setting reinforce the theme?
That is what separates writers who revise effectively from writers who just move words around.
